第一个逾越节
出埃及记十二章1至13节
1耶和华在埃及地晓谕摩西、亚伦说:
2你们要以本月为正月,为一年之首。
3你们吩咐以色列全会众说:本月初十日,各人要按着父家取羊羔,一家一只。
4若是一家的人太少,吃不了一只羊羔,本人就要和他隔壁的邻舍共取一只。你们预备羊羔,要按着人数和饭量计算。
5要无残疾、一岁的公羊羔,你们或从绵羊里取,或从山羊里取,都可以。
6要留到本月十四日,在黄昏的时候,以色列全会众把羊羔宰了。
7各家要取点血,涂在吃羊羔的房屋左右的门框上和门楣上。
8当夜要吃羊羔的肉;用火烤了,与无酵饼和苦菜同吃。
9不可吃生的,断不可吃水煮的,要带着头、腿、五脏,用火烤了吃。
10不可剩下一点留到早晨;若留到早晨,要用火烧了。
11你们吃羊羔当腰间束带,脚上穿鞋,手中拿杖,赶紧的吃;这是耶和华的逾越节。
12因为那夜我要巡行埃及地,把埃及地一切头生的,无论是人是牲畜,都击杀了,又要败坏埃及一切的神。我是耶和华。
13这血要在你们所住的房屋上作记号;我一见这血,就越过你们去。我击杀埃及地头生的时候,灾殃必不临到你们身上灭你们。
信息分享
先前,当神降灾的时候,都会将埃及人与以色列人分隔开,以致灾害不会伤及以色列人(十23)。如今,当神要派灭命的天使巡游埃及遍地,祂又如何保护祂的百姓免受灾祸呢?
神吩咐摩西指示以色列民在羊群中选出一只无残疾的一岁公羊,把牠宰掉,将牠的血涂在门框和门楣上。当灭命的天使经过,看见这血的标记,便会越门而过,不伤害他们。
也许这章经文其中一幅最温馨的图画,是以色列人一家围坐着吃那只被宰的羔羊。他们所吃的那只羊,正是那只保护他们得享平安的羊。试想想,他们一家人把羊血涂在门框和门楣上之后,便可以安心地回到屋内,一起分享羊肉,养足体力,为即将的行程作好预备。
这不是我们基督徒的最佳写照吗?基督乃是神的羔羊,祂亲自用祂的宝血涂抹我们的罪,遮蔽我们免除神的审判,让我们得享平安。同时,祂更是我们的生命之粮,我们每天都要享用这粮,才得到所需的力量。此外,我们每逢主日,与其他信徒一同奉祂的名聚会,一同聆听神的话语,又是另一个得力的途径。神的羔羊不但用宝血拯救我们,还成为我们每天的灵粮,赐予我们力量。愿我们为到神的丰足预备,深深地向祂感恩。
反思:
我们有没有用羔羊的宝血去涂抹我们的罪?
THE FIRST PASSOVER
Exodus 12: 1 - 13
1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.
3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.
4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.
6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.
7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.
8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails.
10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire.
11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover.
12 ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
Message
During some of the earlier plagues God had put a barrier between the Egyptians and the Israelites, so that the plagues did not touch the people of Israel (10:23). How was God going to protect his people when the angel of death came through the land?
You know the story of how the lamb was chosen and killed and the blood put on the doorway, forming a cross of blood. When the angel of death saw the blood, he passed over that house.
One of the loveliest pictures given to us in this chapter is that of the family eating the lamb together. Which lamb were they eating? The very same lamb whose blood gave them safety. Stop and think of that. The family sheltering under the blood of the lamb on which they were feeding in fellowship, gaining strength for the long journey ahead.
Isn't that a beautiful picture of ourselves? We are covered and kept safe by the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God. Yet he is the one from whom we receive food and strength for each day. We receive strength also in fellowship with each other as we gather in the name of Christ each Sunday to listen to God's Word together. We feed on the Lamb whose blood has saved us. Could you stop and thank him again just now for his precious blood and his daily help?
A THOUGHT:
The blood of the lamb had to be applied, not just left in the basin. Has the blood of Christ been applied to your life?

